Match Report: Boomers hold off Lightning

26/OCT/2008 – The Bulleen Boomers have hung on in a thriller to squeeze out the Adelaide Lightning at the Veneto Club this afternoon.

In what is sure to be the first of a number of close games between these two teams this season, the Bulleen Boomers have hung in a nail biter to just outlast the Adelaide Lighting 86 - 84 at the Veneto Club this afternoon.

The Lightning were seeking to keep their undefeated start to the season intact, having come off a win against Dandenong on Friday night. For the Boomers, it was a golden opportunity at home to claim a win over a team they have been unable to beat for a couple of seasons.

At the start of the game, it was frantic end to end basketball, with both teams finding scoring options from their star players. For the Lightning, Marino and Foley are always dangeous outside, while Gahan and Francis were hard to stop from anywhere near the hoop.

For the Boomers, Shelley Hammonds opened strongly, with support from Sharin Milner and Elyse Penaluna.

From the quarter time score of 20 - 21, the Boomers found just a few more scoring opportunities through the second term and opened up a narrow 4 point lead by half time.

The standout battle was between Marino and Milner in the back court, with both point guards controlling their team's offence, but also finding ways to score. For the Boomers, Shelley Hammonds was having an impact on the scoreboard but also dominating the defensive boards.

The Boomers hit the afterburners at the start of the third term, finding scoring options all over the floor and building to an 11 point lead, before Adelaide Coach Vicki Valk had to call time to regroup.

And the Boomers quickly found there is no rest against the Lightning, as Adelaide strung together 4 threes in a row without reply to take a one point lead near the end of the quarter. But the Boomers are made of sterner stuff this season, and steadied in the last couple of minutes to even out the quarter and retain the 4 point margin.

The last quarter continued the theme of tight and tough basketball at both ends, with the scoring in ebbs and flows, and neither team able to string enough together for a decisive margin. A clutch three from Sharin Milner with 1:10 on the clock put the Boomers out to a 7 point lead and had the fans in raptures, thinking the game was pretty much in the bag.

After a final timeout, the Lightning fouled quickly at every opportunity to put the Boomers to the stripe and the last minute may well be one that Coach Cheryl Chambers has nightmares about for the next week ... Milner, Penaluna and Hibbert went to the line for 8 foul shots between them and managed to sink a solitary point ...

Fortunately for the Boomers, the short bursts of play betwen fouls were enough to eat up the clock and while Adelaide hit a couple more baskets, time ran out and the Boomers triumphed 86 - 84.

Overall, this was a great game of WNBL basketball featuring two teams likely to feature in finals action.

For the Lightning, Angela Marino topped the scoring with 19 points, with great support from Foley (16 pts), Francis and Gahan (14 pts each).

For the Boomers, Shelley Hammonds showed Boomers fans why the Club recruited her this season with a standout 24 points, including 4 from 5 threes, and 12 boards. Milner and Penaluna contributed 14 and 13 points respectively, with Froggy Hibbert chiming in with 10.

The Boomers are off on a Canberra road trip next weekend, playing the Capitals on Friday night and the AIS on Saturday night.

Next Boomers homes game is Sunday 9th November, 2 pm at the Ven against the AIS.

Bulleen 86 - Shelley Hammonds 24, Sharin Milner 14, Elyse Penaluna 13
Adelaide 84 - Angela Marino 19, Jessica Foley 16, Cayla Francis 14, Tracy Gahan 14

Story by Boomers Media